South Indian Inspired Sambar Vegetable Curry

My parents were anxious and zealous to instill the values and cultures of our Indian traditions and roots to their two children, who spent their entire lives living outside of the homeland. As young and new parents of a first-born girl, they decided never to force the rituals on me. Both my brother and I were given plenty of room to grow and develop our personalities without being harangued to live by very conservative rules.

It was a double-edged sword for them: on one side they had to be open-minded to allow the influence from the “western” environment and on the other, how to pass on the important values, morals and traditions they grew up with, without confining their children from their peers or making them stand out.

They did it with curry and stories!

Looking back at our mealtimes at home with my parents while growing up, one of the most prominent dishes on the dinner table was always a curry or a dal. This was served with other dishes and condiments and always accompanied with stories from my mum’s and dad’s childhood. My dad’s stories would be exciting and funny of him growing under simple circumstances in Lahore and my mother would weave stories about living in the plush lifestyle of the capital, Delhi with a very strict father. The stories always touched on typical traditions and rituals and covered much of our heritage painted in colorful tales.

As I moved away from home and arrived here in Germany several years ago, mealtimes were often incomplete and strangely morbid. The pastas, pizzas and potatoes were insipid and people never talked while they ate here! It drove me crazy.

And so, I began cooking curries and invited my friends over, sharing with them the great stories I was told by my parents.

I am still cooking curries and telling those stories mostly to my son - and we enjoy our meal times. Yes, he usually asks for pasta and pizza but he soon finds out the stories are more interesting when the curry is on the table.

My vegetable curry is inspired by the South Indian curry called Sambar, a spicy yet simple dish made of pigeon peas and vegetables using a special spice mix called sambar powder. Sambar carries long and broad ancient traditions of lentil-based stews and is very popular in southern India. A typical Sambar is based on legumes and vegetables and typically served with steamed rice.

With my Sambar Vegetable Curry I am satisfying the palate of a North Indian with flavors of South India. Enjoy!

In a large non-stick pan melt and heat the tablespoon ghee. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add the spices and cook for a further few minutes making sure the mixture does not begin to burn. Pour in the tomatoes with some of the juice and cook the mixture for approx. 10 minutes on a slow heat till the oils begin to separate. Then add the tomato paste and mix to incorporate till you have a paste-like mixture.

Transfer the cauliflower, sweet potatoes and carrots to the pan pour in just enough of the stock so that the vegetables are covered. Simmer for approx. 15-20 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften, adding more stock if required and according to the consistency preferred.

The consistency of this curry depends on your individual preference. I personally prefer to have a thicker gravy so add just enough stock to keep the vegetables in a good simmer. The coconut milk also adds to the consistency so make sure you go easy with the stock.

You can buy store-bought sambar powder at any good Indian/Asian store or use this amazing recipe from the talented Sailaja.

Verdict

This South Indian inspired vegetable curry can be made in a hurry and that’s what I love about it. It is perfect for a weeknight dinner, satisfying and soothing. Soon you’ll be telling stories of your own! Biting into the silky paneer will come as a surprise but it complements the crunchy and bolder vegetables, soaking up the delightful flavors of the spices.

Food Styling and Photography Workshop News

While the Amsterdam Workshop in September sold out fairly quickly I am glad to announce that the Dubai workshop still has a few slots open. We are filling up nicely and I am thrilled that Simone of Junglefrog Cooking has registered. Not only will I be hosting the Amsterdam workshop with her but I will be looking forward to seeing her again. Also great to see other familiar faces registering for the Dubai workshop.

For more details and and to register for the Dubai Workshop please visit the announcement page. Hope to see you there!

Yes, I would love to cook a curry for you but first we need to get over eating tarts LOL! I agree I have noticed a fantastic and positive change in the German food culture. It's great to be a part of it!

beautiful post and gorgeous pictures, it took me back to my childhood too. Am so glad i was never forced to any set of values and customs, am glad I had freedom to be who I am. Can totally relate to that, i guess not everyone comes from homes with such freedom, we are really lucky. Am tempted to make this from my home made sambhar powder..

Sometimes I wish my parents had told me those stories when growing up.. ;) I would have loved to hear them! And I am soooo excited to be seeing you at least twice this year Meeta! Ofcourse Amsterdam, but I am also very excited about Dubai coming up soon... Can't wait! O and bring some of that curry please...

Thank you for your comment and feedback and I appreciate your thoughts. I think if you read the post (and the title) I do say that this is an inspired dish from the South Indian Sambar. I have not said anywhere that this is the traditional version. "My vegetable curry is inspired by the South Indian curry called Sambar (...)Sambar carries long and broad ancient traditions of lentil-based stews and is very popular in southern India. A typical Sambar is based on legumes and vegetables and typically served with steamed rice."

So this is not a misrepresented dish but one that I have chosen to interpret in my way. That includes coconut milk, paneer and making it with chickpeas instead of the dal.

I love hearing how families instill their homeland stories to a new generation of children growing up outside of their heritage. It is all so interesting to me and yes, food is a wonderful conduit for all of that learning! Loks delicious.

Oh Meeta, this curry recipe I definitley have to try out!! It sounds just delicous and I have to admit, somehow I envy your son that he has the chance to eat those delicious curries so often and hear your stories :)Hugs Eva

Meeta! Such a beautiful looking dish. For a moment, on seeing the pictures, I wondered how different Sambhar looks from the way I make it, until i read the whole article. I love the lovely flavours of Sambhar masala, and how creatively you made another recipe out of it. It has just given me more ideas.

What a lovely post. I think very few Indian parents know how to strike a balance between letting their children know the culture in which they are born and the country in which they grow in. Your parents seem to have done a great job. My father used to tell us stories about the mughal history at the dinner table. And hence my love for Indian history and food grew :) A very lovely recipe you have there Meeta.

It's such a balance act as parents isn't it. I understand it now as I am a mother now. My dad told us many stories about the moghul empire and the luscious food. It's probably why I love the food so much!

Love the Sambhar and the article.....don't you love the way Indian parents talk about their childhood. I can totally relate to you and admit I share many stories with my own daughters. We are lucky to have such special memories!!

Thank you for your comment and feedback and I appreciate your thoughts. I think if you read the post (and the title) I do say that this is an inspired dish from the South Indian Sambar. I have not said anywhere that this is the traditional version."My vegetable curry is inspired by the South Indian curry called Sambar (...)Sambar carries long and broad ancient traditions of lentil-based stews and is very popular in southern India. A typical Sambar is based on legumes and vegetables and typically served with steamed rice."

So this is not a misrepresented dish but one that I have chosen to interpret in my way. That includes coconut milk, paneer and making it with chickpeas instead of the dal.

Thank you for visiting What's For Lunch, Honey? and taking time to browse through my recipes, listen to my ramblings and enjoy my photographs. I appreciate all your comments, feedback and input. I will answer your questions to my best knowledge and respond to your comments as soon as possible.

In the meantime I hope you enjoy your stay here and that I was able to make this an experience for your senses.

Hello, I am Meeta a freelance food photographer, stylist and writer living in the cuturally rich city of Weimar, Germany with my husband and our son, where I enjoy preparing multi-cultural home cooked meals with fresh organic ingredients. What's for lunch, Honey? is my award winning food blog where I combine my love for food with my love for photography and styling...